Even before the Beatles went on their famous pilgrimage to Rishikesh with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1969, India has been a popular travel destination for American tourists seeking serenity and spiritual growth. But in recent years, wellness travel to India has exploded.
Mia Farrow, Steve Jobs, and Oprah are just a few of the many Westerners who have flocked to India for life-changing trips to visit meditation retreats and spiritual sites. Now, the southeast asian country is the fastest-growing wellness travel destination, with a projected 22 percent annual growth rate. In comparison, the United States -- the leading country for wellness travel -- has an average annual growth rate of 5.8 percent.
Wellness travel -- any tourism associated with the goal of maintaining or enhancing one's personal well-being -- is now a $439 billion industry worldwide within the $3.2 trillion global tourism industry, representing 14 percent of all tourism spending. It's estimated to have a trillion dollars worth of economic impact.
"As more people embrace overall healthier lifestyles at home, we are now seeing those behaviors translate and be integrated into their travel and vacation habits," Susie Ellis, Chairman and CEO of the Global Spa & Wellness Summit, said in a statement. "For others, vacation provides an escape from the non-stop activities of their daily lives. As these two trends converge, we are seeing many people commit their vacation time and dollars to wellness travel, as evidenced by their increased spending and specific global destination choices."
Spa experiences, healthy eating, opportunities for personal growth, yoga and meditation, fitness, stress reduction and holistic health are among the experiences sought by wellness travelers, according to the 2013 Global Wellness Tourism Economy Report.
Ellis explains that the recent mindfulness boom may be playing a part in attracting more visitors to India.
"India's wellness offerings are very understandable -- they have yoga, meditation and ayurveda," Ellis tells the Huffington Post. "Right now, those are things that are really resonating with people... the kind of things that people want and need are the things that India is offering."
Since the 2002 "Incredible India" tourism ad campaign, travel to the country has been on a fairly steady rise. The campaign sought to bring higher-yield tourists to India -- the country had long been attracting hikers and travelers staying at low-cost ashrams, but the tourism board knew that if they attracted wealthier tourists, the rest would follow.
And they were right: Using bright colors and promising "thousand-year-old recipes for eternal youth," the campaign generated a 16 percent increase in tourism in its first year.
The country's latest high-profile wellness travelers are Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, who are currently on their first nine-day tour through India. The British royal couple will be touring some of the holy cities and spending time at an ashram in Rishikesh.
Visitors going to India for wellness-based trips will often spend a fair amount of time visiting there, learning about the ancient arts of yoga and meditation, as well as ayurveda (the Indian "science of life," a system of traditional medicine) on an extended week or two-long trip, according to Ellis.
"To go to India and detox and spend a week and really feel what it's like to be in a state of mindfulness, that's life-changing," says Ellis. "And it would attract the people who have the time and resources to do that."
Several upscale destination spas in India that have become popular among such travelers are Ananda in the Himalayas (a palace that was formerly home to the Maharajah of Tehri-Garhwal) and the Soukya Holistic Health Center in Bangalore, says Ellis.
A growing number of wellness retreats and spas are cropping up across India, from Dharamsala to Mysore, to accommodate the growing demand for holistic health-based travel. Lonely Planet event ranked Sikkim, India one of the top 10 travel destinations for 2014.
Along with India, China, South Korea, Russia and Germany are some of the other top wellness tourism destinations. Still, the U.S. remains the top destination for wellness travel, with $167.1 billion in expenditures and a total of 141.4 million wellness trips taken annually (followed by Germany at 49.3 million).
Click through the slideshow below for our guide to the best yoga and meditation retreats in India:
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Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore
The <a href="http://www.artofliving.org/bangalore-ashram/ashram" target="_blank">Art of Living International Center</a>, a 65-acre campus located on top of the Panchagiri Hills outside Bangalore, is a popular destination for peace-seekers from abroad heading to India for the ashram experience. With mountainside trails, gardens, a lake and organic farms surrounding the facility, it's the perfect place to get some peace and quiet. Guests (who come from all cultures and religious backgrounds) are invited to participate in voluntary service, helping with cooking, cleaning and general upkeep of the ashram. Contact for pricing.
Osho Meditation Resort, Pune
If you're looking for a quiet corner of the world to relax and reflect, plan a trip to the famous gardens at <a href="http://www.osho.com/Main.cfm?Area=MedResort&Language=English" target="_blank">Osho Meditation Resort</a>. The 28-acre campus is located a short flight from Mumbai in Koregaon Park, Pune. The resort offers a mix of a traditional ashram experience and a luxury getaway, with meditation classes, lush gardens, swimming pool, marble pathways and tropical foliage. Elle Magazine <a href="http://www.osho.com/Main.cfm?Area=MedResort&Language=English" target="_blank">called</a> the center "a very comfortable paradise where you can stay a long time." Single occupancy guesthouse rooms start at $55/night.
Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala
Visitors to <a href="http://www.tushita.info/" target="_blank">Tushita Meditation Center</a> live simple and reconnect with themselves at this northern India center for the teaching and practice of Buddhism. The center emphasizes silence as a major part of its offerings, and invites guests to participate in a number of spirituality and mediation classes each day. As one TripAdvisor reviewer <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g319724-d589276-Reviews-Tushita_Meditation_Centre-Dharamsala_Himachal_Pradesh.html" target="_blank">raved</a>, "The place has the kind of energy that would settle your mind, take it away from the worldly distraction into a phase of absolute peace and happiness." Before you leave, be sure to stop by Dalai Lama's nearby residence in Dharamsala. Contact for pricing.
Ashiyana Yoga Retreat
At <a href="http://www.ashiyana-yoga-goa.com/yoga-retreats-and-trainings.shtml" target="_blank">Ashiyana Yoga Retreat</a>, visitors come to relax and recover from the negative effects of busy, stressful lifestyles through a combination of yoga, holistic therapies, nutritious meals and relaxation. The retreat centers offers three different packages tailored to visitors' needs, but with a focus on stress reduction and returning to balance. Start with the popular "Urban Antidote" option and choose between seven, 14 and 21-day stays. Guests reside in beach huts on the Mandrem river or in houses in a nearby palm grove. Contact for pricing.
Shreyas Yoga Retreat, Bangalore
This luxury center in Bangalore is one of the world's most upscale yoga retreats, offering a variety of classes, rejuvenation spa, stunning grounds, meditation sessions, organic vegetarian cuisine and infinity pool. <a href="http://www.shreyasretreat.com/philosophy.htm" target="_blank">Shreyas</a> prides itself on attentive staff and excellent service, and a philosophy of yoga as the pathway to self-discovery and spirituality. Located on a 25-acre property an hour from the Bangalore airport, the retreat center merges natural beauty and modern luxury. Single garden tents start at $280/night.
Ayurveda Yoga Meditation Resort, Coonoor
Discover the traditional Indian healing wisdom of Ayurveda ("knowledge of life") in the Nigril mountains of southern India at <a href="http://www.ayurveda.org/index.aspx" target="_blank">Ayurveda Yoga Meditation Resort</a>. The center -- located on a green tea plantation surrounded by Eucalyptus forests -- focuses on personalized individual care programs and targeted holistic treatments for a number of health conditions, including alcoholism, stress-related disorders and hypertension. Guests fill their days with yoga, meditation, organic farming, volunteer work and communal vegetarian meals. Contact for program pricing.
Yoga Vidya Spiritual Retreats, Kerala
Learn traditional Ayurveda, meditation and hatha yoga at <a href="http://www.hathayoga-meditation.com/" target="_blank">Yoga Vidya Spiritual Retreats</a> in Kerala. Taught by monks and scholars from around the world, the center offers a variety of courses and retreats, including art retreats and a popular yoga teacher training program. Beginners can learn from a 10-day yoga immersion retreat, and advanced students can join a yoga intensive detox retreat. The yoga immersion retreat starts at a suggested donation of $500 for a shared room.
Ananda in the Himalayas, Narendranagar
If you're looking for a relaxing luxury escape in the stunning Himalayas -- with a little meditation and yoga on the side -- escape to <a href="http://www.anandaspa.com/index.html" target="_blank">Ananda in the Himalayas</a>, one of the world's most highly ranked destination spas. Ananda teaches the techniques of the Bihar School of Yoga, and offers classes in a variety of different forms of meditation and <em>shuddi kriyas</em> (yogic practices designed to purify the mind and body). Guests can also pamper themselves and enjoy total relaxation at the full-service spa. The resort offers special retreat packages including stress management, weight loss and yoga detox. Double rooms start at $342/night.
Isha Yoga Center, Tamil Nadu
Founded by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, the non-religious non-profit <a href="http://www.ishafoundation.org/" target="_blank">Isha Foundation's ashram and yoga center</a> has been attracting visitors from around the world for the past two decades. Try a three- to seven-day introduction to the Isha Yoga program for a yoga-intensive retreat or a rejuvenation retreat for a more general program focused on health and wellness. The center is located at the base of the Velliangiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu, 18 miles from the city of Coimbatore in southern India. Contact for pricing.
Kalari Kovailakom - The Palace For Ayurveda, Kerala
A wellness center for Ayurveda treatment in an old renovated palace in southern India, <a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.kalarikovilakom.com/" target="_blank">Kalari Kovailakom</a> is truly a place for healing. Guests enjoy the healing powers of vegetarian food prepared in an ayurvedic kitchen, natural remedies created from freshly picked herbs, massage and hatha yoga classes. The center also offers afternoon classes in "yoga nidra," a meditative technique meant to induce deep relaxation. Guests can also take classes in the ancient martial arts practice of Kalaripayattu. Contact for pricing.
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